Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (The asian tiger mosquito)

Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (The Asian tiger mosquito)

Aedes albopictus is also known as the Asian tiger mosquito and is associated with the transmission of dengue fever, eastern equine encephalitis and heartworm. It is native to the continent of Asia and is fairly common throughout the oriental region. The Asian tiger was most likely brought to the U.S. through shipments of scrap tires from northern Asia. It is a relatively small mosquito species with distinctive white scales on its thorax and black and white scales on its abdomen and legs. The Asian tiger mosquito was first discovered in Houston, Texas in 1985 and has since spread into 866 counties in 26 states in the continental U.S. It is an aggressive daytime biter.